People at the Bali yatra ground in Cuttack on Thursday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Nov. 6: Over one lakh visitors thronged the city to be a part of the annual Bali yatra festival that got off to a colourful start here today evening.

Over 40 platoons of police have been deployed to maintain law and order. For the first time, the cops have installed public address system, so that any untoward incidents such as stampede could be avoided.

“For better crowd management, we have installed public address system,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

“Our special focus is on crowd management, and we have also instructed our senior officials to monitor whether any criminal activities are taking place at the fair ground,” Sharma said.

Closed-circuit television cameras have also been installed at strategic locations, and a special team has been formed to put a check on incidents of eve teasing and pick pocketing.

A sand art replica depicting the Nabakalebar of Lord Jagannath and His siblings, created by sand artist Pramod Patnaik, welcomed the visitors. Apart from this, another sand art based on Clean India campaign was also there. The artist used over 100 tonnes of sand to create them at the Bali yatra ground.

“Sand art has been a part of the festival since 2007, and like every time, this year, too, we have been able to touch the heart of the visitors,” said Patnaik.

The first day of the fair witnessed a good turnout, however, the officials believe that the footfall may increase during the weekend.

“We have come to Cuttack to taste the famous thunkapuri, a local delicacy — which is one of the major attractions at the seven-day festival. Moreover, this year, the administration has given more space to the fair — which is commendable,” said Dipsikha Patra, a visitor from Bhubaneswar.

Around 1,300 stalls have been set up, out of which nearly 310 stalls are selling various ethnic rural crafts, handicrafts and other products made by the self-help groups.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation has installed two mobile toilets for the visitors, while special squads have been deployed to put a check on the sale of stale food at the fair.

A senior corporation official said the health squad would conduct surprise raids on various food stalls from tomorrow as the footfall is likely to increase during the weekend.